Watertower is an album by the American musician Michael Hurley, released in 1988.[2][3] Hurley would rerecord four of its songs for 1995's Wolfways.[4][5] For many years the only way to purchase the album was as a vinyl release at Hurley's concerts; Hurley would also dub copies onto cassette for a fee.[6][7]
| Watertower | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Folk | |||
| Label | Fundamental[1] | |||
| Producer | Dan Archer, Michael Hurley | |||
| Michael Hurley chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editEugene Chadbourne encouraged Hurley to record for the Fundamental record label.[8] "I Paint a Design" is about Hurley's visual art endeavors.[9] The album's songs eschewed both the polish of Nashville country music and the finesse of bluegrass music.[10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[12] |
| Daily Press |  [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[7] |
Robert Christgau noted that Hurley "still writes more calmly and curiously about the great beyond than anyone."[12]
Spin included the album on its list of 80 excellent "underground" albums of the 1980s, deeming it "funny, oddball folk music."[15] The Daily Press called it "atypically robust and awake."[13] In a 1996 review of Wolfways, Miami New Times opined that Watertower was where Hurley's "laid-back expoundings started sounding lazy."[16] In 2000, USA Today wrote: "No one plays folk blues like this anymore, and Hurley's lyrics waste no time with concepts that fall short of the eternal. His playful, earnest songs deal with the mythological importance of the moon, dreams, dead blues masters and the creative urge."[17]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Revenant" | |
| 2. | "I Paint a Design" | |
| 3. | "Lush Green Trees" | |
| 4. | "Keep Rockin'" | |
| 5. | "You'll Never Go to Heaven" | |
| 6. | "Ma's Dream Blues" | |
| 7. | "I Still Could Not Forget You Then" | |
| 8. | "Indian Chiefs & Hula Girls" | |
| 9. | "Broadcasting the Blues" | |
| 10. | "Uncle Bob's Corner" | |
| 11. | "Moon Song" |
References
edit- ^ "On the Record". United Press International. July 22, 1988.
- ^ "Michael Hurley Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Burr, Ty (10 Apr 2015). "Michael Hurley lives". The Boston Globe. p. G1.
- ^ MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 384.
- ^ Morris, Chris (Aug 26, 1995). "Snockman's Back, Thanks to Koch Label". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 34. p. 94.
- ^ Spencer, Peter (October 19, 1997). "Unplugged musicians generate acoustic sparks". Spotlight. The Star-Ledger. p. 4.
- ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 179–180.
- ^ "Michael Hurley – Primary Colors". No Depression. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Folk Heart". Chicago Reader. June 20, 1996.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 337.
- ^ "Michael Hurley Watertower". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Michael Hurley". Robert Christgau.
- ^ a b Harrison, Don (21 Mar 1993). "Uneasy Truce with Stardom". Arts & Leisure. Daily Press. Newport News. p. 11.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 422.
- ^ Coley, Byron (Jan 1990). "Underground". Spin. Vol. 5, no. 10. p. 83.
- ^ Tignor, Stephen (February 8, 1996). "Rotations". Music. Miami New Times.
- ^ Curry, Paul (March 10, 2000). "Hurley as odd and timeless as ever on 'Weatherhole'". USA Today. p. Arc.